EcoCluP Kick Off Meeting in Crete
UK CEED has won a bid to manage a European Union (EU) funded project entitled the ‘Eco innovative cluster partnership for growth and internationalisation’ (EcoCluP).
EcoCluP is the first pan-European partnership of cluster organisations focussing on eco-innovative industries encompassing waste, water, remediation, pollution control, environmental services, energy, sustainable transport and construction. The partnership represents most of Europe’s key clusters with a strong environmental portfolio such as Austria, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and the UK.
Globally this sector is estimated to be worth £3,046bn with Europe’s share at 27% in 2009. EcoCluP aims to provide cluster support tools and services to create better opportunities for the cluster companies to grow and internationalise and take full advantage of the global opportunity.
Gareth Jones, Project Manager at UK CEED said: “UK CEED’s success with the EcoCluP project is fantastic news for Peterborough’s EnviroCluster. It will enable us to network with clusters in the same sector across Europe bringing together knowledge, expertise and services which will benefit environmental businesses here in the city.”
The project aspires to be hands-on and very practical thus creating real business impact. It will reach out to over 3,500 cluster companies (mostly SMEs) and 430 research institutions of the participating clusters through training courses, match-making events, the use of self-assessment tools, voucher schemes and tailor-made innovation advice. Cluster managers will be trained and will have the opportunity to share experience through cluster manger days and cluster study visits.
“The project includes a number of exciting opportunities for EnviroCluster and our partner clusters. The study visits in particular will allow us to take our expertise to countries that are still in the early stages of developing similar clusters such as the United States and China” says Samantha Demaio, EcoCluP Project Officer.
